Meat, meat, and more meat! If you’re ever invited to an asado in Argentina, arrive with an empty stomach and wear a pair of loose fitting pants. The closest equivalent to an Argentina asado is an American barbecue. But, this event is so much more than a basic backyard festivity with cheap meats. As The Real Argentina blog writes, “Asado is cooking in its purest form – just fire, grill and meat – so it’s important that you get it right. Otherwise, you’ve got yourself a barbecue.” Switching out…

Students studying abroad during their spring semester have to take advantage of the Carnaval celebrations. Celebrated throughout some parts of South America and Europe, Carnaval is a pre-Lent celebration that encourages individuals to unite and bend social norms. In the United States, the celebration which most mirrors this mentality would be New Orleans’ Mardi Gras. From the large festival in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, to the beach parties in Montevideo, Uruguay, most of Latin America’s Carnaval celebrations occur throughout January and February. Located only a few hours away from Buenos Aires,…

Porteños seem to be some of the most welcoming people in the world. Whether I need directions or I want an excuse to practice Spanish, Argentinians are always willing to help. A prime example of this would be my interaction with Gloria Esperanza. I met Gloria during my first weekend in Argentina. While walking by a busy street corner in Palermo, I paused to admire a group of six various sized dogs. Although my attention was on the dogs, my camera caught the focus of the woman walking the animals. Within seconds, the woman asked me to take a photo…